The One Who Got Away (Wilde Ways #12) - Cynthia Eden Page 0,58

jerk stumbling back.

Antony casually lifted his hands and pulled off his glasses. “You broke the lenses and the frame.” Dick. He carefully put the broken glasses onto the bar. “That makes me very angry.”

“Bigger problems, Antony,” Ella warned. “Bigger.”

The blond gave a guttural yell and charged at Antony. Ella was at Antony’s side, so that meant the guy was charging at her, too. The hell you are. Antony’s hands flew out. He slammed his hand into the man’s throat, then he drove the blond straight to the floor. He leaned down over his prey. “Hello, Cal.” The man looked exactly like his mug shot. “I’ve been looking for you.”

More shouts. Antony glanced up to see that Cal had a few friends who’d been waiting with him in the bar. Those friends were closing in. They were all bent on making poor life choices.

“You don’t want to do this,” Antony tried as he rose to his feet. “I’m not here for trouble with you.”

Cal was still gasping for breath on the floor.

“Oh, I think they want to do this,” Ella assured him. “That’s what I was trying to tell you before you kept flashing all of your cash. I think they would love trouble with you.”

Antony counted at least five men coming for him—five men plus the lady who’d held the broken bottle earlier. She still held the bottle, and she was spinning it in her hand at she ambled forward.

Antony glanced down at Ella.

“I count six against two,” she told him. Her hand was reaching for her bag. No, reaching in her bag.

“I like those odds,” he told her. They were damn good.

“You would,” she mumbled. “Um, Antony—”

“If you get another scratch, I will be very unhappy.” After giving that statement, he focused on the matter at hand. Antony motioned toward the nearest would-be attacker. “Let’s get this started. I have other things to do.”

Three men lunged at him.

“Bad mistake,” Antony chided.

A thin, tattooed guy with streaks of red in his hair was the closest to Antony. The guy flashed a knife and grinned as he swiped out with his weapon. Antony jerked back and dodged, then snapped down with his hand toward the knife. He wasn’t in the mood to get sliced. Antony twisted and drove the knife back at the attacker. The fool screamed when the blade slid over his flesh, and Antony sent him flying across the bar a moment later.

He turned for the next threat—only to see the thick, heaving body already on the floor. Ella stood over her prey, with her fingers still closed around her Taser. “Got this one,” she announced without looking up.

So the Taser had been what she’d pulled out of her bag. Nice.

Satisfied that she was good, he got back to business. He surged toward the others coming at him. Fists flew. Tables smashed. Screams and curses filled the air. The fight spread across the bar. It wasn’t just about Cal and his crew—it suddenly seemed to be about everyone. Involving everyone. Blood and battles and people not generally giving a fuck.

Ella took care of the woman with the broken bottle. Antony saw Ella drive a hard hook into the woman’s face. Her nose bloodied, and the bottle fell to the floor.

Crash.

Chaos. This wasn’t the easy scene that Antony had hoped it would be. So much for keeping a low profile. That was a distant dream. He’d wanted to find Cal. To push him for information. Maybe even get a confession but this scene was madness.

His gaze trekked back to where he’d left Cal. Only Cal was gone. Antony did a fast search of the bar and saw Cal crawling toward a black door on the right. Oh, no, you’re not getting away. “Ella!” he yelled. “Our perp is running!” Or crawling. But still trying to escape.

She rushed toward the fleeing man.

A big, towering SOB grabbed for her. He locked his arms around her delicate waist and heaved her into the air.

A roar burst from Antony as he barreled straight for her. “Hands off!” he thundered.

The bar went quiet.

The dumbass holding her looked up. Fear flashed across his face. Ella took that moment to drive her elbow into his stomach, then she kicked back with her heel, plowing it into his leg. The guy snarled and dropped his hold on her.

Antony was on him in the next instant. He caught a nearby chair, lifted it up, and slammed it over the bastard.

The towering man went down without even a whimper. He